Solar Eclipse
by Payne-TheWarrior
Summary: What if the Volturi suddenly got tired of waiting for Bella’s changing and decided to do something about the matter themselves? Begins at the wedding scene in ch. 4 of BD. It's an alternative ending to the twilight-series.
1. Chapter 1

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**Twilight/****Breaking Dawn and its characters (c) Stephenie Meyer. **

I had actually planned to add a little extract (2 pages) from Breaking Dawn, because my fan fiction is a continuation of a sentence of Stephenie Meyer's. But I'm not quite sure that it is legal, since I do not own the copyright on the extract (I couldn't quite understand all those laws in _terms of use_). So instead I'm going to tell you where the story takes its beginning, and then hopefully you will read the two pages before you start my fan fiction:

Remember when Edward and Bella dance after they have gotten married? In my book it is on page 56 of chapter 4: _"And when the music started …". _This is where the extract begins, and it ends at page 57, line 20: "_Before I could blink and make the beauty turn back into me, Edward suddenly stiffened and turned automatically in the other direction, as if someone had called his name …_".

What happens in the outtake is that Bella dances with Edward, then her father and the other guests. Then Edward shows her, her reflection in the huge windows of the house. Then Edward hears someone's thoughts, and turns in the direction of the sound. In reality it is Jacob, BUT not in my story :P hehe…

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**Solar Eclipse - Chapter 1**

_BPOV_

(…)

Something, almost too fast for my human eyes to catch, was moving out of the forest. I only saw a passing reflection in the window, and it didn't occur to me to turn before I heard a scream. I felt Edwards arm holding me back against the window. He himself was crouching in front of me, as if ready to attack an enemy.

For a moment I only felt confusion, but then my eyes caught the source of the uproar. In the middle of the dance floor stood three people I did not recognize. Two women and a boy. The two women glanced arrogantly around the crowd, seeming not interested in being here. They wore expensive-looking, black clothes, torn a bit as if having struggled along through a wilderness.

The boy, on the other hand, looked … excited. He looked very young, about 12 years of age, but there was something wrong about him. He didn't act as if that was his age. He stood at attention, his eyes searching, while wearing an arrogant little smile. His clothes were dark like the women's, except for the red ribbon around his neck. The red colour matching not only his red-blond hair, mattered by the wind, but also his eyes. I swallowed hard, as his eyes met mine. He smiled.

I felt Edward tense in front of me trying, without luck, to push me closer to the window.

I suddenly realised the music had stopped. Everyone stood still, watching each other - waiting.

All the guests had pulled back, leaving a great amount of space around the intruders. Some looked curious; others nervous, but mostly people looked confused. Unconsciously, my eyes searched the crowd. There was Angela holding Jessica's hand as if needing support. Next to her was my dad with a frown on his forehead, as if measuring the situation. There were mom and Phil. Both obviously confused with the situation. All these people, my guests, whom I had invited, were in danger. My friends, my family, all of them…

My thoughts were cut off as I saw a movement in the corner of my eye. Someone tried to make their way to the dance floor. A blond-haired guy followed by a pixie-sized girl, with short, bristled hair. Jasper and Alice. Without thinking I took a step forward, which only resulted in a hard push from Edward.

"Stay put. They know what they're doing". I glanced up at him, but he didn't return my glance. He looked tense, his eyes never leaving the intruders. I returned my attention to the small gathering on the dance floor. I saw that Carlisle had joined Jasper and Alice as well, and Emmet pushed his way through the crowd at the very moment. Soon all the Cullens, apart from Edward and I, stood in front of the three strangers, the Denalis right behind them.

I watched as Carlisle took a step forward, raising his right hand apologetic. "I'm sorry, but you have come at a rather difficult time. We are in the middle of celebrating my son's wedding, so could we please take this somewhere else?"

The three vampires watched him cautiously, the boy still wearing that little amused smile. He strode forward until he stood only a few feet from Carlisle.

"Why? I think this place is perfect for a little conversation … that is, of cause, unless you have something to hide? Something you don't want these guests of yours, these _humans,_ to know…", as he lay stress on the word _humans_ I felt a shiver down my spine. What was he doing?

"It's not that I have something to hide. You are simply interrupting our celebrations. It's nothing personal. Perhaps we could make a rain check?" Carlisle's face showed nothing but his usual politeness, but something about his stance revealed his tension.

"Hmm. What will you do if I decline? To leave, I mean." The boy looked at him through thick lashes, as if trying to act cute. As if he was playing a joke… Playing? Yes, that was the thing. This was all a game to him. We could do nothing to him, because we couldn't risk revealing anything with everybody present, and he ... he … he could ruin everything!

Nobody said anything.

"Oh, you're so boring. I thought this would be fun. Oh well, I guess we could always make our own." He threw his head back and burst into a loud laugh. The women, who had followed the conversation in silence, smiled briefly. My heart almost skipped a beat as I saw them glance at the humans surrounding them. I had to do something. _But what could I do?_

I let out a gasp as I watched the boy approach the gathering at his left. I saw Seth push his mother behind himself, in an attempt to shield her. The boy smiled widely, showing his teeth. I grabbed Edwards arm, but he didn't seem to notice. He obviously wanted to help Seth, but at the moment he was stuck here with me, because of my annoyingly frail, human life. But on the other hand, what could he do even if he were to move freely? He was still bound by the law. If humans found out about vampires, they would have to die. That was the law of the Volturi.

I didn't get what happened next. My eyesight was simply too human to see the boy's fast movements. Suddenly Seth went flying through the air, knocking down a few people behind him.

After this everything happened really fast.

The three intruders were suddenly everywhere. Attacking, dodging. Despite the fact that they were fearsomely outnumbered, they made a hell of chaos. It seemed like before, as if they were playing a game. One moment they attacked and the next they ran. It seemed like one big game of cops and robbers. I swallowed. There were people everywhere. Everybody tried to get off the dance floor at the same time, causing nothing but panic.

I saw Jasper get a hold of one of the women, but only for a moment. She got away, easily it seemed, and ran towards a little gathering of humans at her left. She was stopped only seconds later by Carlisle, who blocked her way. She laughed shortly before she kicked him in the chest.

"Edward, we've got to help them!" I shook Edwards arm, but he didn't move.

"You're not going anywhere, and I'm not leaving you. They can handle it… see" I followed his gaze only to see Emmet grab a hold of the woman's hair and sling her through the air. She fell, but she wasn't one to be out long. Only a fragment of a second after she hit the floor she was up again, running towards a different direction. _I wasn't convinced!_

"Edward, we've got to. My family... _our_ family needs us. I know _I_'m not much of a help, but you could… Please Edward…"

He didn't answer.

The blood in my veins felt frozen. He wasn't going to help them, and I… _what could I do?_

For a moment I felt paralyzed, but as I saw the other woman approach Renée I felt my legs moving.

I don't know how I got past Edward. At this point it really didn't matter. All I could think about was my frail, little mother. She stood there, in the middle of the dance floor, eyes searching, all alone. I felt a twinge of fear as the woman smiled wryly, closing the cap between herself and my mother. I ran, and suddenly, with all my power, I fling myself at the woman pushing her, if only a little, out of the way. I took Renée's hand and ran for the house. It was a hell getting through the crowd. People ran from all sides - panicking - searching for a way out.

Without giving it much thought I grabbed the wrist of a brown-haired girl and dragged her along. _Angela?_ We got past the table, which was filled with refreshments, as someone crashed into it. Both Angela and Renée let out a little scream, but I didn't take any notion of it. I had to get them out of here. I pulled the door open and pushed the two women inside. I reached out to get hold of them again as I heard a little laughter behind us. I turned so fast it made my eyes blur, and realized we weren't alone.

"Very impressive, little one. I'm starting to realize why it is everyone is so obsessed with you." A dark-haired young man, looking not much older than myself, stood leaning against the window. He looked at me with a humorous sparkle in his crimson eyes, his arms crossed over his chest.

I felt my body tense, and I suddenly realized how vulnerable I was without Edward at my side. My heart sank as my eyes turned to the two women at my feet. I had suddenly put them into a much graver danger than the one they had been in before. Right from the ashes to the fire. What could I do now? The only thing I could think of was to buy time.

I looked him right in the eyes, trying not to show my fear. "What do you want?" I suddenly felt a pang of anger, which made my words much more explicit.

He returned my gaze, with an expression of wonder. "Most humans would lose track of things in this situation. They would feel lost, panicky, helpless… They would act like _pray_… but not you. Hmm. Very interesting."

He took a step closer, and I felt gooseflesh on my arms as he reached out for me. _We had to get out of here_. If nothing else, I had to get Angela and Renée out. They had both gotten up from the floor, and stood silently at my sides.

"I asked you a question. Why are you doing this? Don't you know the laws?" he stopped moving when his hand was only a few inches from my face. With a sudden movement, too fast for my human eyes to see, he reached out for my chin and lifted my head up, so I looked him right in the eyes.

"The laws?" he asked, followed by a little scornful laughter "You mean the part about the secrecy? Of course we know, but you know … If the people who learn a secret die, then it's still a secret… Don't tell me you've never heard the saying _dead men tell no tales_?" he made a rough laughter, as I pulled my head out his grip. He looked at me with amusement, and followed me as I took a step backwards.

"As for your first question, I thought it would be rather obvious…"

I frowned, while pushing Renée and Angela back.

"…we have naturally come for _you_!"

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**I know it's not a very long chapter, but it seemed like a good place to end it. I really hope you'll review, so I'll know whether or not the chapter is worth reading, and if I should continue posting chapters.**

**Thank you for taking time to read my story :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Apparently I'm really lousy at writing long chapters. I wanted it to be much longer than the previous, but once again this felt like the right time to stop. Hopefully I'll get better over time :D I hope you'll find some time to read this (A good thing about it being short is that it won't take much of your time :D) and hopefully review as well.**

**Twilight (c) Stephenie Meyer **

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**Solar Eclipse - Chapter 2**

**_E__POV_**

Even though my heart hadn't beaten for almost 90 years I'd swear I could feel it pounding. I had been so focused on the intruding vampires before me, that I hadn't given the danger behind me a single thought. How could I have been so stupid? I should have taken it to account that Bella always did what she wanted… Now she was nowhere to be found. I ran past fleeing humans, too panic-stricken to get out of here. _I had to find her!_

I stopped short, trying to focus. I inhaled and for a moment it stroke me that something was off. However, I let the thought slip. I had more important things to worry about. _Where was she?_ Where could she have gone to? I took another deep breath, but there was no trace of her smell in the air.

I flinched as a figure shot past me at an inhuman pace, but I made no attempt to recognize the vampire concerned. Instead I searched the minds of both humans and vampires in the hope of finding a trace of her whereabouts.

Nothing. _Nothing?_

I closed my eyes and tried to focus but I still heard nothing. _How was that even possible?_ I opened my eyes once again and locked gazes with the first I saw. _Tanya?_ I didn't take any notion; all I did was focus on her mind. I waited for the colours, the sounds, the images, yet nothing came. She looked at me, yet I wasn't able to see the image of myself through her eyes. I felt the panic sneaking up on me. _I couldn't hear her thoughts!_ I couldn't hear _any_ thoughts.

_Where could she be?_

I was just about to run for the forest, as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Where are you going?" The voice said, only to continue one fragment of a second later "Where's Bella?"

I pushed the hand away as I turned, facing Jasper.

"I don't know" it took me a while to realise that the hollow voice uttering the words, was my own. I ground my teeth, trying to calm down.

I hadn't felt this panic-stricken in a long time. I felt as if I was a newborn vampire again. Everything felt so overwhelming – the colours, the sounds. I felt the panic, the confusion. _Where was she?_

"I don't know" I repeated. I felt the stiff expression on my face, not caring to change it_. Where was she?_

My head felt empty. I could think of nothing but her, the constant repetition of her name inside my head.

_Bella. _

_Bella. _

_Bella. _

I don't know how much time past before a high-pitched voice suddenly called out my name…

"EDWARD!" a voice screamed from behind us. I turned my full attention towards the pixie-sized girl who stood still, with horror painted in every feature. I watched as she threw a glance at the great mirror-like window in the house.

At first I didn't understand her panic, but as my eyes focused I recognized the silhouettes of three people inside the house. However, that wasn't what suddenly made me run. It was the lack of sound! Even though I saw three people, only _two _hearts were beating…

_**BPOV**_

"_Me?"_ for a moment all I could comprehend was confusion.

"Yes" he sent me a sleek smile, before he continued: "We have come as promised!" he looked at me as if waiting for a specific response. Apparently I was a disappointment, because after a while a frown showed on his forehead.

I started backing away from him again; all I could think about was getting out of here. I tugged Angela and my mother along with me, but it became more and more difficult, and I realised Renée resisted my grip, if only a little. Her eyes slowly regained their focus, and I felt the shiver down her spine as if it was my own. She looked at him, and I knew what she saw. His pale skin. His crimson eyes. His aura of a predator, the way his teeth shone as they showed in an arrogant little smile. _She knew_. I could see how she took it all in, the comprehension in her eyes, followed only a moment later by the denial.

I took a stronger hold of her arm and dragged her along with me. No way in hell was I letting her get the overhand. _We had to get out of here._ My eyes searched for a way out, and I felt my hope slip away as I realised the only possible exit was the door towards the terrace. The door we had entered only minutes ago. The door he blocked.

I briefly thought about screaming for Edward, but I let it go. The noises from the outside were so ear-splitting, he probably wouldn't be able to hear me anyways, and my screaming would only make the vampire before us react. I needed time. Time for Edward to find us. Time for him to come and save us. _I had to buy some time!_

"I don't know what you're talking about", I said in a voice I hope sounded normal. I looked him in the eyes as I continued: "Who are you?"

"How awfully impolite of me to not begin with an introduction! My name is Lucan." His cool fingers touched mine as he bent his head and briefly brushed his lips against my knuckles. I heard myself gasp and fought the need to break my hand loose from his grip. As if he could hear my thoughts he took a stronger hold of my hand and pulled me slightly towards him. He looked up at me, through his dark lashes, a smirk lingering at the corner of his lips. I could feel the frozen expression on my face, and I realized I was gaping at him. I snapped my mouth shut and scowled at him. It only made his smile wider.

"My given name was Lucan _McFallon_, but I guess my present name might mean more to you. It's _Volturi_… as it has been for the last 80 years". He looked at me expectantly, and from his wide grin he wasn't disappointed from what he saw. I don't know exactly what my facial expression looked like at that specific moment, but my head felt hollow. It took me a moment to comprehend what he had just said, but when the truth hit me, it hit me hard. My eyes widened, and I felt adrenaline pounding through my body, giving me the strength to push Angela and Renée further behind me. _The Volturi? _Of course! I had waited for this moment for months - _feared_ this moment - hoping it would never come. But here it was, and I cursed myself for not realising it earlier. Of course, they were behind this.

My mind wandered off to a small, underground hideout in the village Volterra, Italy. I remembered how Alice and I had rushed all the way across the Atlantic, in a desperate attempt to save Edward from killing himself. He'd thought I had died, and since he had no wish to live in a world in which I wasn't, he had planned to provoke the Volturi into killing him. Fortunately we had managed to get there in time to stop him, but not unnoticed. We were, the tree of us, led underground, and this was how I came to meet the royal family of the vampire world for the very first time. I had been fine with it, if that had been the only time we would ever meet, but obviously my bad luck was against me.

The Volturi consisted of three leaders - Aro, Caius and Marcus – and then an (to me) unknown number of followers.

I didn't remember everything from the visit, mostly it was just the impressions I remembered. For instance the curiosity and the (almost) suppressed joy which had eluded from Aro, or Marcus' indifference. I remembered the angry look on Caius' face, his arrogance and above all his _impatience_. He had wanted me dead! If it hadn't been for Aro, I would have died that day. Humans aren't supposed to know about vampires, so me knowing was unacceptable… well, almost unacceptable. If Edward promised to change me, we would be able to leave. So I might not have died that day, but my life as I knew it changed from that moment. I had received a death sentence so my death was no longer just considered, but planned.

I had wanted it, though. I still did. Being with Edward forever was my only wish, and being changed into a vampire didn't scare me as much as it probably should have. I had thought that with the threat of the Volturi in mind Edward would change me in an instant, but he still had second thoughts. Thinking he could trick them into leaving me human. I had known better, and I had begged for him to listen. I had told Edward that they would come for me, to check if my heart was still beating. I had told him that this day would eventually arrive, but he had insisted that many years would pass before the Volturi would even consider making a move – that their sense of time was different from ours.

I had known he was mistaken, but for once I'd wish I wasn't right.

I once again returned to the present and found him – _Lucan_ – smirking at me. Even though I had only meet the Volturi once before (With the exception of a few who had been sent to destroy the newborns who had raged in Seattle some months ago) I was almost positive I had never seen him before.

"I don't remember you" I said out loud.

A frown appeared on his forehead, and he suddenly seemed irritated.

"What? You don't believe me?" he laughed a scornful laughter, before he took a stronger hold of my arm and pulled me towards him with a sudden tug. "Well, that doesn't really matter. I was ordered to go fetch you, and here I am. You can believe that or not, I don't really care."

He started pulling towards the front door, away from the noises from the outside. Once again I felt an urge to try to break loose of his grip, but I resisted it. By letting him drag me along, I led him away from Renée and Angela. That was, what was most important right now.

We had only taken a few steps when I felt a tug at my arm. I turned my head just in time to se my mother throw herself at him. She crashed into him, and apparently surprised him enough to let go of my arm. I was so stunned for a moment all I could do was stare at her, eyes wide. She pushed me towards Angela and even though I knew running wouldn't do us any good I couldn't help following her example. We each grabbed one of Angela's arms and ran towards the main entrance. I ran, with all I had in me. We passed the grand piano and spurt across the room. We reached the enormous staircase in the hallway and I couldn't help feeling a twinge of hope as I saw the door. I reached out for the handle, but as I lay my hand around it I saw something white shoot forward pressing the door shut. _A hand?_

Suddenly I couldn't breath and I reached up and found a cold hand wrapped around my neck. Lucan, or what ever he was called, had entered the periphery of my sight. He stood with his back against the door, one hand around my neck, the other around my mother's. I fought his grip, tried to ease it, but it only seemed to make it worse.

"You seriously thought you could escape?" He was furious. He started moving towards us, pushing us backwards. My feet stumbled upon something on the floor, but I didn't fall. He almost carried us into the living room once again and I started felling dizzy. My head spun and I felt the panic sweep around me as I couldn't breathe.

Before I knew what happened he let go of us, and I felt my legs give in from underneath me. I feel to the floor, and saw that Renée did the same. I reached out for her, but he pushed me away.

"Let the others GO! They have _nothing_ to do with this!" I shouted, by voice hoarse from the strangling. I started hitting him desperately, to no use. His fingers took a hold of my hair and he pulled my head back so I could see his face. He pulled so hard I thought he might pull all my hair out and his expression indicated that he might. I felt my body shiver, and a pathetic whimper left my lips. He looked disgusted. "Let them go.. Please…"

He let go of me once again, but this time with a push so hard it almost knocked me out against the floorboards. He snorted loudly before mumbling something which I couldn't hear.

His head suddenly snapped up and he focussed on the big window towards the terrace, his gaze suddenly slightly anxious.

I felt a hand push against my side, and once again my mother flung herself at the vampire. She hit him, tried to scratch him, bite him.

"BELLA! You take Angela and run. I'll give you some time …" she yelled, while hitting the stone before her. She did more damage to herself than him, so I tried forcing her back.

Sometime during this he lost his patience.

"OH, SHUT UP, WILL YOU?!" his white hand shoot out and grabbed Renée by the collar and threw her backwards. I uselessly threw myself forward trying to get to her, but a hard push in the stomach caused me to fall back onto the floor.

I screamed. I'm sure I did, but I couldn't hear it. Everything was suddenly quite and happened ever so slowly. My nails scraped against the floorboards, as I once again tried to get to my feet, leaving splinters under my nails. But I couldn't seem to care.

_I had to get to her…_

_I had to get to her before … before …_

I couldn't move. Something held me back and no matter how much I hit and kicked nothing happened. All I could do was watch as my mother hit the huge window towards the terrace.

There ought to have been a crashing sound, but still the sound was missing. For a moment my whole body felt numb and all I could do was stare. But then my body started moving again, and a piercing sound ripped through the quite. An ear-splitting scream, I first didn't recognize as my own.

I think another blow hit me, because a throbbing pain suddenly started on the back of my head.

The last thing I remembered was the sight of all the red pieces of glass in the air. The way they fell to the floor with little ringing sounds as if the entire room was filled with thousands of bells. _That_ and a screaming voice I felt I ought to know, but just couldn't find the strength to recall.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading :D Please tell me what you think in a little review. I'd really appreciate it!**** Thank you ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hey guys, **I'm SO SORRY** for the long wait. I know I promised some of you that I would update soon, BUT every time I've felt like writing there has just been other stuff I've had to prioritize above this FF … Things like finals and work and stuff… **SO SORRY!** I hope I'll be able to update more frequently from now on…

**THANK YOU SO MUCH** for the reviews for the previous chapters. I thought I knew of happiness before I received those reviews but I clearly did not! **Holy cow**, those reviews made me happy O__O I had this creepy smile on my face the entire day, and the day afterward, and the day after that, and … You get the point ;) You guys **ROCK**!! And also **THANK YOU** to all you guys who read the chapters and/or put the story on alert and stuff… Wow, that made be so **HAPPY-HAPPY**:P he he…

About this chapter… I'm not completely satisfied with it. I hope you won't hate it.

**Twilight (c) Stephenie Meyer **

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**Solar Eclipse - Chapter ****3**

_BPOV_

I was so thirsty. My throat ached as if it had been sandpapered and my tongue was so dry it almost … almost… _It almost what?_ I frowned, or at least tried to do so, but I couldn't feel my facial expression change. My body felt heavy, but I was too tired to fight the drowsiness off. _Tired?_ Was I tired? I thought about that for a moment, but when no answer came to me, I let it go. It hurt to think… or was it my head that hurt? I didn't know, but I decided it didn't matter.

_If I __don't think, everything will be alright! _

Those words had run through my mind at least a hundred times during the last … hour? Day? Week? How long had I been here, in this dark place? I didn't know that either. Did it matter? I thought about that, but still no answer came.

_If I __don't think, everything will be alright! _

Really? But how does one stop thinking? I mentally scratched my temple. That was one difficult question! But I guessed _thinking_ about how to _not_ think was forbidden as well… or was it? Hmm… Maybe I was confused?

_Yes, that's it_, a voice screamed in my head. I had been so absorbed in the silence for so long that the sudden sound of a voice startled me.

I mentally turned my head in the darkness, but I could find no source of the sound. _Hello?_ I thought. For a moment I almost expected an answer, but when nothing came, I frowned yet again. At least I think I did..

Was I starting to get crazy?

No, I decided. Crazy people didn't question their sanity… or did they? Hmm…

"… He's not going to be pleased."

Air caught in my throat as I heard yet another voice in the darkness. What was with all these talkative voices? Where had they been all this time?

"He's not going to be pleased with EITHER of us, you IDIOT!"

_Idiot?_ I sure as hell didn't hope he meant me! Or else I'd have to show him the consequences of talking like that to B… Be… Sw.. Cu.. Be? Sw? Cu? _What ... I…?_

" … She's so bruised even her own mother wouldn't recognize her … "

The voice stopped my struggling. There was something about that sentence that made my heartbeat accelerate. I forced my head to think, but the only thing I gained from that was a throbbing headache.

_She?_ A girl? Did I know her from somewhere? Was that the cause of the heavy feeling I suddenly felt in my chest? The feeling that made me want to rip open my chest and tear out the heart that made me feel this way. I didn't _want_ to feel this way… It hurt too much!

_If I __don't think, everything will be alright._

I decided the voice was right about that. I stopped fighting the darkness and let it absorb me. I could feel how it crept over me, beginning at my feet and hands and slowly closing up on my heart.

I tried to tune out the strange voices, but fragments still passed through the mental barrier I tried to create:

"… What are we going to tell…?

"…Idiot!"

I ignored them. I could do that.

All I wanted was to disappear, and soon, when the darkness would reach my heart, my head, my mind, I would be gone. Gone from all the hurt I didn't understand… the pain I didn't want any part of.

Would I be free? I hoped so, but most of all I hoped I'd just disappear. There was nothing left for me in this world. _Or was there?_ I didn't know. Everything was so blurry and confusing.

I closed my already closed eyes, and let the darkness sweep me away.

…

The next time I opened my eyes, the darkness was gone. I was on my back, on what I presumed was a bed. I filled my lungs before I reached out a hand to caress the silk underneath my fingers. So soft.

My body was heavy from sleep, but I forced myself up on my elbows to get a clearer view of the room. The sudden movement, however, made my head spin so I feel back on the bed once again. My head hurt so badly. I frowned as I reached up a hand to touch my temple. Were did this headache come from?

When I felt ready to get up once again, I did it in a much slower pace.

Although the room was only dimly lit, I was able to recognize the beauty of it. The room was beautiful in an old-fashioned-Victorian-era kind of way. It wasn't a big room, but not a small one either.

The bed, on which I was laying, was a huge four-poster bed with a delicate curtain trimmed with laces. The frame was of a dark wooden colour. It looked heavy, as did the other furniture in the room. Especially the huge closet at the opposite wall looked particularly heavy.

I got up from the bed, and let my hands sweep against the furniture as I past them. On my left was a beautiful dressing table, with a circular mirror and what seemed to be hundreds of small drawers. I wondered for a short moment what all those drawers were for, but decided to let it go. Instead I let my hands follow the little golden carvings which decorated the dresser in a pattern that matched the one on the white carpet.

On the walls were panels, in what I presumed were different shades of dusty rose colours decorated with white and golden patterns, from floor to ceiling. One panel was hidden behind an idyllic landscape painting.

_It was too dark in here_, I thought to myself, before I eyed the two huge windows which dominated the entire right wall of the room. The only source of light came from the candles at the bedside tables, and the darkness made me drowsy. Not to mention a little paranoid, with all the dark shadows in the corners, I realized.

_I needed light._

I walked over to the window which was closest to were I stood, and took a hold of the heavy white lace curtains, and pulled them to the side. I waited for the light to hit my face, but nothing came. A frown showed on my forehead, as I realized the reason for this. Wooden boards and planks seemed to be attached to the outside of the window, and no matter how hard I pulled the window didn't crack an inch. I tried the other window with the same result.

I let out a sigh from the effort and sat down on the piano stool in front of the dressing table, with my back to the mirror.

_Where was I? _

_And why was I here?_

A small movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention and I got up. I went to the huge closet and found a door, almost invisible because of its resemblance to the panelling.

A faint ray of light showed at the foot of the door, and without thinking much of it, I bent down to touch the light. I stared at the light for a while, completely absorbed by the beauty of it, but I was abruptly pulled out of my trance-like-state when the light disappeared for a moment only to reappear a second later.

_Someone was outside the door!_

Without a moments thought I ran to one of the bedside tables and grabbed a candle stick and before I knew it I was back at the door, with a hand on the handle.

…

The door squeaked as it was pushed open. I took a step outside in what seemed to be a silent hallway. I looked around quickly but I saw no one.

I frowned for a moment before I held up the candlestick to get a better look at the room, which was only slightly more lit-up than the room I had just left. Oil lamps hang on the walls, which where decorated by light beige coloured fleur-de-lis tapestry. The lamps were somewhat old and lightly dusty, and they created shadows everywhere. I couldn't help the sudden shiver up my spine. The shadows were everywhere, and I couldn't shake off the paranoid feeling of being watched.

I bit my lip as my eyes darted through the room, but I could still see no one. Why wasn't anybody here? I had been so certain there were someone out here, that the lack of people caught me off guard. I just stood there, frozen, for a moment without really knowing what to do.

_Why __isn't anybody here?_ I thought to myself, halfway annoyed, halfway creeped out.

I started wondering if the shadow I had seen before was only a product of my imagination, when a sudden movement at my left caught my attention.

"Hello?" I asked in an unsteady voice. I said it without thinking, and it was first afterwards it hit me that it might not be the best of ideas to call out. After shrugging off my uneasiness I turned towards the place I had seen the flash of white and tried to make out a figure in the darkness. I held my candlestick a little higher, and took a step forward.

"Hello?" I tried again. Still no answer. Maybe it_ had_ all been my imagination, I though with a relief I didn't understand. I was just about to return to the room from before, when I saw it again. This time however there was no question. It was a person.

A woman, in what seemed to be a long white nightgown, stood a few feet from me, her eyes fixed on a point over my head.

I froze in my place as I took her in. _Where had she come from?_ Suddenly out of no where, she was just ... there. And she was so… _beautiful_. Her skin was pale. Even in the dim light, I could see the whiteness of her skin, and the almost unnatural glow in her auburn coloured hair. She stood at attention, still as a statue, her eyes fixed on the wall behind me.

Her beauty was overwhelming. It seemed so foreign and unusual, yet there was still something about her beauty which lured me in. I felt as if I ought to know her, yet I was certain I had never seen her before in my entire life.

My traitorous feet took a step forward before I even realized it, and my left hand was raised as if to reach out for her. Her skin, a pale white, looked smooth and I just knew it would be cold if I touched it. I didn't know how I knew it, but I suddenly felt an urge to verify my assumption. I _had_ to know, so I took another step towards her still figure, and then another.

I was only inches away, my hand almost touching her elbow, when she moved.

Her right hand suddenly held my wrist in a tight grip. Some part of my mind recognized the coolness of her skin, but it was her gaze that held my attention. Her eyes, which had been focused on the wall, suddenly shifted to my face, and held my gaze captured.

I could do nothing but stare into her eyes, which were of an alluring ruby colour. I absentmindedly realized that she was moving backwards, pulling me with her. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not, I couldn't find the strength to care. It was as if I had no mind of my own, and I followed her willingly into a room at her left.

In the periphery of my sight I found that it was a somewhat circular room, yet _edged_? I didn't know, and I didn't care. All I could do was stare into those ruby eyes of hers.

She stopped us, and I felt a light pressure in my hair. She pulled my head back, exposing my bare neck, and with a sudden movement too fast for my eyes to catch, she was at my ear, whispering softly:

"Don't worry, young one. This will only hurt for a moment"

I felt my heart speed as her lips moved to the nape of my neck.

_I had to get out of here_. The thought sounded so loud in my head, I was surprised the woman didn't seem to notice.

The moment her eyes had let me go, my head had started to work again, and the fear from earlier crept up on me again. All my senses screamed 'danger' and the urge to run was overwhelming.

A sense of déjà vu swept over me as I tried to push her away. The whole situation seemed like something I ought to remember, but I just couldn't. I... _Had I been here before?_ I tried to remember, but I just couldn't. My head spun and the adrenaline which pulsed through my body hurried me to run, not think.

Her lips caressed the skin on my neck, and just as I readied myself for the sting of her teeth the pressure of her hands in my hair disappeared.

The woman suddenly disappeared, and I heard an angry hissing sound somewhere at my left. I fell to the floor, my legs suddenly unable to carry me, and I landed in a bundle of silk and laces.

A dress. I wore a beautiful dress, which was old, yet new. It … I _remembered_ this dress.

Something wet hit my hand as it swept against the silk, and I realized I was crying. I touched my face and felt the wetness on my cheeks.

With tears streaming down my face I put my hands on the floor to push myself up. My legs allowed me to stand, and I found myself in a room full of mirrors. The small room, obviously meant to be a dressing room, was covered by floor to ceiling mirrors all the way around.

I don't know if the room was beautiful or not. The only thing I could focus on was the image of myself, reflected from every angle in the little mirror room. I saw myself, as I stood in the most beautiful dress I had ever laid my eyes on.

My wedding dress.

A loud sob broke the silence, followed only seconds later by another one.

_I remembered._

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**Like I said, I'm not completely happy with this chap, but since I can't put my finger on what is wrong with it, I can't really fix it … Soooo, I thought I might as well just post it ;P he he. Hope it was okay. If not… Well, then hopefully you'll like the next chapter better :) **

**Thank you for reading :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heya ****:) Once again I would like to thank the people who read and reviewed for the last chapter :D It makes me SO HAPPY, that you guys actually use some of your precious time to read my silly little fanfic ;)**

**I thought you might wanted to know what happened in Forks while Bella was in Volterra, so I decided to write this chapter and the next as well to update you on that front. This chapter takes place a few hours after Bella's abduction. **

**So, I hope you like it. There's an EdwardPOV and an AlicePOV in this chapter. I thought it would be best to let someone else describe Edward's actions, than Edward himself, which explains the APOV. Please tell me what you think about it afterwards :D**

**Twilight (c) Stephenie Meyer **

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**Solar Eclipse - Chapter ****4**

_E__dwardPOV_

I stood in the living room, watching while Esme and Alice put up huge boards on the now broken window and yet not really paying attention. I could feel my eyes follow their every move, their every breath, but it was like my eyes did those things on their own. It was like I had absolutely no control over my body. I felt hollow. Numb. My body was there, standing in the room among my family yet I was oddly absent.

It was like a part of me was gone - and not just _a_ part, but _the_ part – the part which held me together. The part which let me keep my sanity. It had gone and left behind a pathetically hollow shell. Empty. I was empty. She was gone. Someone had taken her away from me, and I hadn't been strong enough to keep her safe. I was weak, ridiculously weak that is, and to have ever thought I would be strong enough to protect her… Stupid. It was all my fault. I should never have brought her into this world. She had fought, time and again, against the monsters of my nightmare reality and it had never been fair to her.

She deserved so much more than I had ever given her. What had I ever given her? The only thing I had, the only thing I could give her was my love for her, but what good had come out it? The price for my love was far too high and I should never have let her pay it. I should have kept away from her, left like I had originally done, but this time have stayed away from her.

She deserved a life, a happy human life, far away from the horrors my kind always brought with us. She was so much more than I, even as a human I had never been half of what she was. She was kind and honest, loving and brave, forgiving and… just perfect in every way possible. She was my angel. My kind angel, whom I had stolen away. I was a monster and she had never belonged to me. She deserved so much than I could ever give her, than I could ever be for her. She… She… She was nowhere to be found.

I had searched for hours, looking for a trail, a scent, something that could lead me to her. I had found nothing. She was gone, taken away from me, and I had no idea whereto. Neither did I know who had taken her. My incompetence was astounding. I was even more useless than first thought. My angel was gone, and I was at fault. It was my fault. My fault entirely. My fault. _My_ fault. _Not_ hers. Why was she always the one to pay for my mistakes? She deserved so much more… _So much more._

_AlicePOV_

I felt Edward's eyes on me as Esme and I finished blocking the hole in the window. He had been watching us for a while now, but I had yet to meet his gaze. I already knew what I would see if I did so and I just couldn't bear to see it. _The hopelessness_. I felt it in the room, like a heavy aura, cloaking itself around us. _Stifling_. The atmosphere in the room - the feeling of it in the air - was stifling, but to actually _see_ it would be so much worse. And I knew - just _knew_ - that Edward's face would mirror the feeling to perfection.

I had seen him earlier. He had been completely out of it, panicked beyond recognition. The two women and the boy had created a mighty chaos. Humans had been scattered everywhere, running in every direction possible in an attempt to get away from the vampires they instinctively knew to fear. I had tried, like the rest of my family and Tanya and hers, to keep the enemy away from them. From our human family and friends, but it hadn't kept me from noticing Edward's search for Bella.

_Bella_.

The mere thought of her name sent a stab of pain through my body, leaving me gasping for air I didn't need. Bella, my best friend, my sister. I didn't know how she'd gotten away from Edward. I had seen how he stood protectively in front of her when the intruding vampires first showed up, but then suddenly she was gone. The thought of not knowing how she got away from Edward worried me. If Bella had chosen to run off I ought to have seen it. And I hadn't. A sense of guilt and self-loathing crept in on me, and I let it. I should have seen it.

_Why didn't I?_

Forgetting my aversion to look at Edward I turned around to ask for his opinion. I was, however, instantly blown away by the sight in front of me. I insistently tried to keep my question in mind, but the sight of Edward, made my worries of fail seem childish and irrelevant.

Edward was in pain.

He stood still as a stone in the middle of the room, staring at me, but not entirely seeing me. His hair was chaotically dishevelled around his face, which was paler than usual. The shadows under his eyes where pronounced, dominating his features and creating a sinister contrast to the whiteness of his skin. He was beautiful even in his moment of despair, but it was a dark beauty that made me want to cry.

It was even worse than I had expected. His face was expressionless. I had feared the feelings eluding from his eyes, but the lack thereof was even worse. His eyes looked dead and cold. He looked lost. That was the only word for it. _Lost_. And empty, maybe. And I knew why. Bella was gone. He had already lost her once before, had already tried to live life without her, and I could only guess how he felt right now. He had lost her… again.

A sob sounded from my throat and I cupped my mouth in a useless attempt to keep it down there. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. Instead another silent sob broke the silence.

I suddenly felt a hand on my back, drawing comforting circles on my exposed skin. I looked up, and found Jasper staring down at me, with an expression mimicking mine. The emotions of the room must have been horribly overwhelming for him, since I, who didn't have his gift, could feel them so strongly. I patted his hand which came to lie on my shoulder, letting him know I was there, yet trying to show as little affection as possible, without hurting his feelings. Edward didn't need to see that right now and from Jasper's expression he seemed to agree.

I looked around the room and found the rest of my family silently watching Edward as I had a moment ago. The Denalis did likewise.

I didn't know if everybody had seen Edward's search for Bella, but I was certain they had all seen the way he had rushed to her side when he caught sight of her.

Once again my mind wandered off to that fateful moment when I had seen Bella and Renée through the glass window. Moments previously I had been confused and agitated, since I couldn't _see_. My 'second sight' was gone and like any other time it had disappeared it annoyed the hell out of me. Back then I had mentally accused Seth Clearwater and his werewolf friends of being the source of my 'blackout', but now I wasn't completely sure. The werewolves only blocked parts of my sight, not all of it, and it just didn't seem to be the right answer.

I had worried I had lost my gift for good, when suddenly a flash of light had blinded me. A glimpse of a sight showed before my eyes only to disappear again a tenth of a second later. It had been enough to get my attention though.

_Bella being dragged along by a vampire I had never seen before._

I had recognized the living room of the house as the place in my vision, and when I looked up I meet the ruby eyed gaze of the vampire in the vision. Without thinking I had screamed for Edward to come.

He had instantly heard me, and rushed by me with a speed that astonished even my vampire vision. The vampire's eyes were slightly anxious and alarmed when they met mine, but they soon went to the woman in front of him.

_Renée._

He snapped something at her - I couldn't hear what through the noise of the fighting - but suddenly everything seemed to happen unbearably slowly.

I saw him throw Renée through the room, and before I knew it, I felt my legs running towards the house. I wasn't going to make it, but Edward was closer, so I thought he might.

He didn't.

I heard the scattering sound as the glass broke into millions of pieces, but it was the bloodcurdling scream that followed which made my feet run faster.

_Bella_.

I could think of nothing, but her name as I ran, with everything I had in me, for the broken window. I absentmindedly realized that the sounds of the battle changed around me, but I didn't stop to check. I saw Edward throw himself through the reminder of the window, paying only attention to Bella.

I increased my pace, and threw myself under Renée before she hid the ground. The smell of blood had erupted the moment she crashed through the window, and the sudden closeness made my throat burn. I held my breath as I tried to get up without rummaging too much. I was almost up when I heard a piercing scream which would have made my blood freeze if it still ran in my veins.

Edward's velvety voice rang through the yard, echoing a couple of times before the world went quite.

I ran the rest of the way to the living room, suddenly accompanied by other members of my family. I caught a glimpse of Edward's back as he raced through the door in the opposite end of the room, without a doubt following the vampire who had Bella. I ran after him, as did the others around me.

We followed him and the freesia-smelling trail of Bella a couple of miles through the forest until it suddenly stopped.

We all stopped in the outskirts of what seemed to be a small clearing or a meadow and watched Edward as he ran back and forth searching for a lead as to where Bella might be.

For a while we had all just watched him silently, but as the waiting became unbearable I had taken a step forward.

I didn't really know what I would have done if I had actually made it all the way towards Edward. It didn't really matter, because I hadn't. A small piece of silver on the ground caught my attention, as I almost stepped on it while entering the meadow.

A small silver comb decorated with precious blue stones.

The same comb Edward was now holding in his right hand while absentmindedly caressing the silver ornaments.

I took a deep breath before I let my feet move closer to Edward. I felt Jasper tighten his grip on my shoulder for a moment, before he let go entirely. I could feel his uneasiness about me moving closer towards Edward as if _I_ had been the one to feel and control emotions. I guess that's what comes from living with someone for decades. You get accustomed to their feelings and even though I always considered his feeling above my own, in that moment I shook them off.

Edward wasn't going to hurt me. He was in pain and he needed my help.

I wasn't sure how I was going to help him, with my 'second sight' being gone and all, but I was definitely going to try.

I loved Bella too and we were going to find her, even if it was the last thing we ever did!

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**So what did you think? I don't like it when people blackmail reader****s for reviews, but I **_**am **_**tempted to offer an earlier update if I get a good handful of reviews ;) hehe…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey. Here's another update. I know it's been a while, but ... well, to be honest I didn't really want to keep on writing this, since no one seems to want to read it... I mean, I'm rather insecure about my own writing abilities, especially since it's in English, and therefore I'd really like to get some feedback on things. Is it too much to ask for a review? You don't have to write an entire essay or anything, it just makes me really happy to know that you actually read my story. And besides making me happy, it also keeps me motivated. I mean, who wants to write someting no one wants to read? Certainly not me! **

**So for a few weeks I stopped writing this fanfic, wallowing in selfpity, unable to find the motivation to keep on writing, BUT then something happend! The other day, when I checked my email, I was SOOO happy to see that someone actually reviewed chapter 4 of Solar Eclipse :D It made me soooo HAPPY-HAPPY __ It was the wonderful** _looneybaloony_** who was kind enough to take an interest in my silly, little fanfic... And I am serious when I say that I danced through the streets that day! I felt like I could fly! Amazing, Amazing, Amazing ;D So, because of this review I decided to write another chapter... Thank you so much ;D**

**Now, about the chapter: This is yet another chapter about what is going on in Forks, while Bella is in Volterra. There's A LOT of information in this chapter, and even though this is by far the longest chapter I have written yet, I am afraid the amount of information is too overwhelming... please, tell me what you think ;) **

**About all the spelling mistakes I'm sure I've missed... PLEASE don't think poorly of me. I really do try. I try to re-read the chapters after I've written them, but it's just SO difficult to find all the mistakes... Sorry! **

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**Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn (c) Stephenie Meyer **

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**Solar Eclipse - Chapter 5**

_**EdwardPOV**_

"Edward?" A quiet voice asked. I didn't answer. It didn't even occur to me that I ought to. I was far too lost in my own solitude and the guilt which burned through my body to even consider answering.

Bella was gone and it was my fault. She had been taken away from me and I didn't know how to find her. There were no clues, no trail. First there _had_ been a trail. I had followed her sent all the way to our meadow, but then it just stopped. Stopped? How was that even possible? I had asked myself that same question for the last two hours, but I had yet to come closer to the answer. I didn't get it. A trail wasn't supposed to disappear that way. It was against the laws of physics and simply impossible!

I mentally shook my head, and replayed the last two hours in my head, the two hours which had past since Bella's disappearance:

When I had seen Bella in the hands of that vampire all rational thoughts had left my mind entirely. I had run with all my might for the house, hoping, begging, that I would make it in time to get her away from him. I had run through the remainder of the window, not caring about the shredding sound of my clothes as the textiles came in contact with the broken glass. I had entered the room in time to see Bella, unconscious, in the arms of the stranger, before he had exited the room in full speed. Naturally, I had followed. I had run, faster than ever before, but my usual advantage seemed to be of little use. He had run faster. And then suddenly they had both disappeared. It was unexplainable and frustrating. I had searched the woods for a trail, a clue which could lead me to Bella, but it had all been in vain. Unaware of the time passing I had spent two hours searching and I would without a doubt still be out there, if Emmett hadn't dragged me back to the house. He'd said that I wouldn't find her by searching the woods, and even though I had no idea what else to do, I had agreed to follow him back. Without a trail of her scent the woods wouldn't let me find her. I had to figure out another way to find her. But how?

I was so lost in my thoughts I almost missed the voice's second attempt to get through to me. When I didn't answer, the voice repeated its question and I felt two small hands grip my upper arms and shake me lightly.

I didn't care about the voice. The only thing I wanted to think about was my Bella. My precious Bella. Where had that monster taken her to?

I had to find her_- but how?_ Without a trail _how _was I to do that? I had no idea about who had taken her either. Why had she been taken and whereto? I didn't know.

It was hopeless. _I_ was hopeless. I was a completely useless _moron_.

"Edward?" This time the voice was sterner. I turned my head slightly downwards and was met by a pair of pitch-black eyes.

Alice.

She had moved from her place at the window, without me even noticing, and now she stood in front of me with a determined look on her face. He tiny hands held onto my arms with such a strength it would have bruised had I been human. She shook me one more time to get my full attention before she said the altering words:

"We're going to find her!"

All I could do was stare into those black eyes, watch the determination and willpower of her gaze. She looked so sure about herself, so certain that what she said was the truth - and that was when it hit me:

"You saw it happen, didn't you? You saw us finding her. Tell me what you saw Alice! I need to know!" Suddenly I was the one who held on to her upper arms, shaking her impatiently. She looked surprised, obviously shaken by my sudden outburst, but I didn't care. If she knew something about Bella's whereabouts I had to know!

When she didn't answer immediately I started getting annoyed. Why wouldn't she tell me? I _had_ to know! I started shaking her more feverishly, until I felt two strong arms around my chest, retraining me in an unbreakable grip.

I looked at Alice who was now protectively wrapped in Jasper's arms, an angry growl erupting from his chest. The sound of it broke my trance and I realized were I was. And what I had done. I felt my chest heave as I took a deep breath to steady myself. I closed my eyes, and after a moment which seemed to last forever, I felt the tension of my shoulders loosen. I hadn't even realized how tense I was until then.

"You can let go now Emmett. I'm under control" The pressure on my chest disappeared instantly and I saw him move to stand next to Jasper and Alice. My gaze stayed on the pixie-sized girl, whom I had called sister for decades and I felt a sudden pang of guilt. Alice wasn't at fault in this whole mess and letting my own distress out on her was not only childish, but also completely unreasonable.

"I'm sorry" I whispered in a voice I didn't even recognize as my own. It sounded so hollow. So empty.

Not listening to Jasper's protests, Alice slipped out of his grip and threw her arms around me. I instinctively took a step back and looked at her with what I'm sure was a surprised expression.

Almost immediately she let go of me, only to step back and punch me in the chest with her little fist. My eyes grew even wider at that. A smile played around her lips, probably amused by my expression, as she took a step backwards.

"Now we're even, okay? Don't worry about it. We've got more pressing matters to attend to" She went back to Jasper's side and took his hand in her own. She looked up at him before her gaze returned to mine: "We're all going to help you find Bella…. right guys?" she added, while turning her head in every possible direction. I followed her gaze and realized the room was far from empty.

Carlisle and Esme were the first ones to meet my gaze. They both smiled sad smiles, but encouraging, and their eyes showed the support and trust they had always granted me. My eyes met the compassionate eyes of the other vampires present and I realized I had been going at the problem the wrong way. Bella's safety was my responsibility, and I had failed. But that didn't mean I was the only one who wanted her back. There were others to help search for her.

As if reading my mind Alice spoke again: "We love her too, you know?"

I might be an incompetent useless moron, but I wasn't alone. My family had stood by me for a century and they would do it again. How could I have forgotten that? A smile started showing on my lips, but it disappeared immediately.

Bella was gone and here I stood, wasting precious time by feeling sorry for myself. Alice was right. There had to be something we could do. Some way or other we were going to find her.

We had to!

_**AlicePOV**_

As I saw the glimpse of hope in his eyes I knew all wasn't lost. Apparently I wasn't the only one to think so 'cause everybody started moving at once. The horribly stifling feeling diminished and everybody went back to their previous activities. Together, Esme and I finished blocking the window in no time, and we went to join the group which had gathered in the dining room.

Sitting around the great table, we never used for its original purpose, were seven vampires. At the end farthest away from the door was Carlisle at his usual seat. Next to him, at his left, sat Tanya, followed by Rosalie and Emmett. Right across from Carlisle, at the other end of the table, was Jasper placed. Next to him was Carmen who sat right beside her husband Eleazar.

Carlisle gestured for us to come closer as soon as we entered the room. Esme went for the unoccupied seat at his right and I went to stand behind my husband. I put both my hands on his shoulders and let out a content sigh as his right hand came to rest on mine. I reached out to stroke his cheek, but stopped midway when a voice broke the silence which had erupted when Esme and I entered the room:

"Alice, I need to know what you saw"

I looked up and met Edward's gaze. He stood at the window in the far end of the room, behind Carlisle and Esme. I hadn't noticed him at first, but now his presence seemed to fill the room. His tension was obvious and his eyes were focused on me.

I decided I might as well just tell him the truth.

"I didn't see anything Edward. I'm sorry"

_**EdwardPOV**_

"I didn't see anything Edward. I'm sorry" I heard the words, but I couldn't seem to understand them.

"What do you mean you didn't see anything?" I asked in a harsh voice. I narrowed the space between us by walking closer to the table. I could feel the frown on my face, but I didn't care to change it.

Alice stood behind Jasper with her hands on his shoulders. I stared at her intently, and I heard Jasper's warning in my head as if he had said it out loud.

_Edward. Don't._

Two little words, yet very affective. I gave him a silent nod before I returned my attention to Alice. She looked so small as she stood there. Small and… Guilty? She took a deep breath and cast down her eyes before she answered:

"I don't know what happened, Edward. I can't _see_ anymore. I didn't see them come, or that thing take Bella. I'm so sorry, Edward. It's all my fault. I should have seen it, but I didn't. I'm so sorry… " She continued apologizing, but I stopped her with a gesture of my hand.

"It's not your fault, Alice. If it's anyone's fault it's mine, but lets not discus that right now." I let out a breath before I continued: "Your visions … When did they stop?" She frowned, but answered instantly:

"I don't know the exact time. I didn't pay much attention to the future all day… I thought I knew what the future held" she sent me an apologetic glance "but I should have looked more closely. I'm so sorry Edward"

I went to lean on the back rest of Esme's chair. "What was the last thing you saw?" A grim suspicion had started in my head.

"Well, I tried to see during the chaos on the terrace, but I couldn't see anything at all, until… Until I saw a glimpse of a vision…" A confused expression crossed her face "I saw a stranger drag Bella along. I recognized the room in the vision as the living room, so I looked up and there he was. I called for you and … well, you know the rest"

She looked as if she were going to cry. I frowned slightly while turning my suspicion in my head. Was it possible? I couldn't find any other answer. Before I could get too deep into thought, Carlisle's voice interrupted the silence:

"Alice dear, your visions have disappeared before, right? The wolves have that affect on your 'sight' so it must have been because of Seth's presence." I saw Alice shake her head feverishly before she answered:

"I don't think so…" she said hastily "I thought about it myself, but it just doesn't seem to be the right answer. Whenever the wolves have interrupted my visions, only fragments have disappeared. This time it's all of it. Apart from the glimpse of a vision earlier I see nothing at all. It's just … gone" She absentmindedly stroked Jasper's hair, a heartbroken expression on her face.

Carlisle was just about to say something, when I interrupted: "I'm sure your right Alice. I think one of the strangers had an ability which could block your 'vision' …" I saw the others look questioningly at me, but only fragments of their thoughts reached my ears, which only made my suspicion more pronounced.

"… and my 'hearing'" I said in a sad voice. I heard a few gasps, and suddenly every pair of eyes turned to Carlisle, questioningly. He turned slightly in his seat to look at me.

"During the chaos, which Alice mentioned, I was likewise unable to hear the thoughts of others. I tried really hard, but I couldn't and it just… just made me more panicky. I rely so much on my 'hearing' and then suddenly it was gone and… and Bella, as well." I felt the hollowness of my chest at the mention of her name "It was so confusing."

I turned away from Carlisle's searching gaze before I continued: "But I think your visions will return, Alice. I'm able to hear some thoughts by now, so your ability ought to return as well" I finished. I went back to the window, but didn't really see the outside. I was completely focused on the minds of those present.

_.. is it.._

_He might be…_

…_Bella…_

It didn't make much sense, but it was progress. I had to believe it would return eventually. A sudden thought hit me and I turned abruptly to look at Eleazar: "Did you sense the abilities of the stranger? That is your power isn't it?" I turned my head to look at Jasper and continued in the same beat: "…. Did your ability to calm disappear as well?" Before I finished I felt a wave of calm hit me, and I automatically relaxed.

"No" Jasper answered unnecessarily. I thought about that for a minute, before I returned my attention to Eleazar. I caught him exchanging a glance with Carlisle before he answered: "I wasn't aware of the presence of the one in the house. I was focused on the battle outside." He looked at Carmen with a protective glimpse in his eyes, and it was obvious he had been concentrating on keeping his mate safe.

He looked back at me as I went to stand at the opposite site of the table, across from him. "… but as I already told Carlisle earlier, one of the three strangers outside had an ability."

That caught my attention. I leaned against the table between Rosalie and Tanya, and listened attentively to the other vampire.

"I believe the young male outside was able to erase the memories of others." He looked at me for a short moment, before he added: "What happened earlier only emphasize my theory"

I frowned at that, getting slightly more annoyed by the minute. I had no idea about what had happened earlier, since I hadn't been around earlier, and since I could no longer read the minds of others (not sufficiently enough, anyways) I had no way to find out about it unless they told me. I was just about to state my discontent, when Carlisle interrupted:

"Maybe we should take this from the beginning"

_**CarlislePOV**_

I didn't recall Edward ever being this quick-tempered before. One moment he was still and thoughtful the next he was either yelling or snarling at someone. It was deeply disturbing to watch. This wasn't the Edward I had called my son for a century now. This was a desperate man. His purpose in life had been stolen from him, and my heart ached for him. Bella was so important to him. With her gone, he was nothing but a shadow of the person he could be, and it frighten me. Terrified me.

"Maybe we should take this from the beginning" Seeing Edward's expression change into an annoyed scowl, I spoke the words just to keep him from lunging out at Eleazar who had been nothing but helpful during the last couple of hours. But as I heard the words spoken out loudly I knew that was what we ought to do. Everyone needed to be up-to-date on everything which had happened since Bella's abduction. If not, then how were we supposed to work together on finding her?

Everyone seemed to agree, so I cleared my throat and began to talk:

"Okay, seeing as we all have had different assignments during the past hours it is probably best to get an update on things before we discuss what to do any further."

"As some of you know an ambulance came to pick up Renée and I followed her to the hospital" I met Esme's gaze before I continued: "It is too early to say anything, but I am afraid of the outcome of things. Her injuries are very severe. We will have to wait and see" I felt an overwhelming sadness in my chest by the mention of Bella's mother, but I shook it off and continued:

"As for the other humans, no one got hurt, which is –of course- good, but _odd_" I pondered the word for a second, not at all certain if that was in fact the word to describe the strange sensation which was now at hand. "I wonder how that can be possible. Jasper?" I looked at my third son and was met by a pair of thoughtful eyes.

"Well, I do have a theory on that." Jasper leaned closer and looked at everybody in turn, "We all know how … _difficult_ it can be to control ourselves when then smell of human blood erupts." I saw him shudder at the thought, and a pang of compassion filled my being. "And since no human blood was spilled we can conclude that these strangers needed to be in control.

During the fight on the terrace I felt something was off. At first I couldn't quite comprehend what it was, until Bella's mother went through the glass window. Until then no human blood was spilled, and while being in complete control, the strangers played us. I see now that the game of tag on the terrace, was merely a decoy to take our attention away from the house" His eyes met Edward's "So they could get to Bella without our noticing"

I waited for Edward to make an outburst, but apart from the sudden markings of his fingers in the tabletop, no reaction came. I noticed that the others looked at Edward as well, but seemingly satisfied by his lack of reaction, Jasper continued:

"The moment the smell of blood erupted, the intruders made a run for the forest and this only emphasize my theory."

"So what you say is, that you believe all of this happened because someone wanted Bella?" Rosalie said, with a hint of doubt in her voice. I could understand that to a certain degree. Even though Rosalie's aversion to Bella made her a bit biased, I myself found it hard to believe that anyone would go to such extremes to get to Bella. Bella was a human, and protected by an entire clan of vampires at that. Why would anyone do that?

The image of a blond, male tracker formed in my head, and I suddenly didn't know what to think.

A curt 'yes' was the only answer she got. The room was silent for a moment, everybody engaged in their own thoughts. When the quiet became too much, I decided to intervene:

"Okay, as I already mentioned I was at the hospital" I turned in my seat and nodded my head at Emmet "You where in the forest with Edward and so were you, Rosalie" I turned to look at her as well. "This leads to another important subject which we have to discuss: The public story of the resent events. A lot of humans were present at the wedding and we all need to be in on the story."

I met Eleazar's gaze and he started without me even having to ask him: "The ability of the young male, which I mentioned earlier was mind-erasing. As far as I could detect he was able to erase the memories of the humans present, which of course is to our advantage. Why he did so, I don't know. Leaving the humans with their memories intact would have created a severe chaos to their benefit.. or so I would think… I don't know. Anyways, with the humans free of their memories we where able to create a story…" He looked at me questioningly, and I continued:

"Yes, none of the humans remembered the wedding, so we told people that the wedding was off, and convinced them to go home" Once again I looked at Rosalie: "We told everyone that Bella's bridal veil hadn't been delivered on time, so you and she went to Seattle to get it. In the midst of the chaos which had erupted in the Cullen-house Renée had tripped and fallen through the window, which ultimately resulted in the cancelation of the wedding. All the humans seemed to believe the story, although Charlie seemed rather suspicious…. It seems that the mind-erasing didn't work on him entirely" I pondered that for the shortest of time, but was erupted by Eleazar:

"Yes, Bella seems to have inherited her father's rather cryptic mind" I sent him a questioning glance, and he explained: "Well, before we came here I was told that Edward's mindreading didn't work on his Bella. And I was convinced thereof when I couldn't sense anything coming from her either. She was completely blocking me out of her mind, and although he wasn't quite as good at it her father seemed to be able to do the same thing." I was just about to say something when Edward interrupted:

"I have never been able to read all of Charlie's thought. Only fragments now and then, so it is obvious that there is some genetic aspect on thing." I looked at my son in surprise, never having heard any of such things. I felt disappointed for the shortest amount of time, before I realized the problems this could cause: "We need to find out what to do about Charlie, while we search for Bella. He can't know about us. Maybe someone ought to keep an eye on him?"

The others nodded around the table, and I heard Esme mumble a silent "I agree". She got up from her chair and motioned for Alice to follow her. "Alice and I were the ones who talked with the humans, convincing everybody to go home. Since this is the case I think it is best we go talk to Charlie, besides" she looked at Alice who had gone to her side "Charlie adores Alice and will most likely feel comforted by her presence." Before heading for the door, Esme looked at me questioningly and I gave her a silent nod, agreeing that to be the best solution. "Remember your phones and we'll keep you up to date". She gave me a quick peck on the lips before both she and Alice raced through the door.

"Now, to the most pressing of matters. We need to find Bella and fast at that. We don't know who kidnapped her, but we do have some clues. First there were four of them, second..." I was suddenly interrupted by a furious growl. I looked at Edward, surprised by the outburst, and shocked by the frustration emanating from his eyes.

"ARO!" was the only word he said, before he started pacing back and forth in the crowded room. I frowned at him, and silently asked for an explanation. "Edward?"

"He took her. God, I'm so blind! Why didn't I think of it before? Think about it …" He turned to me with a speed that astonished even my vampire sight "… Aro has wanted her ever since he met her in Volterra. I heard his thoughts. He was intrigued by the mystery of her silent mind, and he wanted her for himself…" A low growl sounded from his chest, while the words came fast from his lips. He spoke so fast I almost didn't catch it when he said he was going to Italy. He started for the door, but the combined force of the remaining Cullens and Denalis held him back.

"Don't be rash, son" I spoke curtly while keeping him in check by his shoulders "You don't know if the Volturi is behind this, and throwing out accusations at them, without any proof at that, is nothing but suicide. We need to think this trough, before we act"

"We've already used too much time discussing. Bella's out there and I need to find her. She might be hurt, wounded… I…"

Jasper put himself in front of Edward, while sending calming waves at him, trying to make him relax "Edward we need to be rational. I can understand your despair. If it had been Alice, I don't know…" Jasper took a moment to calm himself, before he continued: "Since this was a setup to get Bella, there is still hope. They wouldn't go through so much trouble if they just intended to ki.. I mean, they would keep her alive." I could feel Edward's shoulders tense, and without a warning he broke through our hold:

"Even if that is true, which we don't know, accidents happen. And I can't just sit back and let this happen" I put myself between him and the door, using myself as a barrier. "Edward, you will not go to Italy." I almost yelled at him "That's an order. I will not let them kill you. Think, Edward! What about Bella? What if the Volturi isn't the culprit and you get yourself killed… Then what about her? What about Bella?"

I saw how my words made wonders, convincing Edward to think instead of act. He went back to the window, looking but not seeing the outskirts of the forest. I watched him for a moment, and then took my seat at the table once again.

"We need to think this through logically. There has to be an explanation. I simply can't believe Aro would go to such extremes. Why would he kidnap Bella?"

* * *

**So - What did you think? Too long? Too short? Too much information? Too annoying with all the differet POVs?**

**Next chapter is going to be in BPOV. It's going to continue from where chapter 3 ended. As I started out, I actually intended to write the entire fanfic in BPOV, but as you can see that didn't happen. This chapter and the last was written because I felt you needed to know what goes on in Forks, while Bella is in Italy. I wanted you to know how everyone reacts to Bella's abduction, and that they are in fact figuring out how to save her...**

**Hope you enjoyed the reading ;D Thanks so much for reading my silly, little fanfic :D PLEASE REVIEW!!! ;D**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: ****Hey, here's another chapter: D We're back in Volterra and the first part is written from Lucan's point of view. I don't intend to make this a habit, but I just thought we needed a little peek into the thoughts of Lucan… You can tell me what you think about it in a review afterwards :) if you want to, that is… **

**So, you might have noticed, but this is actually a pretty fast update :D hehe… Didn't think I had it in me, did you? And since it's the holidays (here in Denmark anyways, don't know if it's the same for you?) I thought I'd hurry up and start writing another chapter for you right after I update this… Any objections?**

**Twilight****/New moon/ Eclipse/Breaking Dawn (c) Stephenie Meyer **

* * *

**Solar Eclipse - Chapter ****6**

_L__ucanPOV_

I didn't know where the feeling had come from, but suddenly it was just there.

I had been wandering around in Master's studio, annoyed and restless, for a reason I didn't understand. I was so... Argh, there was no word for it. I had this unpleasant feeling in my chest, only it was more than that. It was … God Damn It, I had no idea what it was, and the fact that I didn't have an answer to my discomfort only made it worse. So I just marched trough the room, from one wall to another, getting more irritated with myself by the second. I had been on the verge of wearing down the soles of my shoes when a wave of panic suddenly hit me.

As I now stood in the small dressing room, staring down at the crying woman on the floor, I felt even more confused than I had before. _Why the sudden panic?_ I had rushed down the hall, without thinking much of it, and run directly to this room. What I had found had startled me. Marissa had been about to attach the Isabella-girl. We had all been instructed to not harm the human girl, so the sight before me had surprised me quite a bit. It had made me hesitate, although only for a second. I had griped Marissa's arm first and then her neck, before I tossed her towards the entrance.

I had startled her. That much was obvious. After landing on her feet she had turned to face me, an angry hiss coming from her throat. I had just scowled at her, not even bothering to mimic her attacking crouch.

Marissa was Alec's mate and she was only a few decades old. She was weak. Why Alec had insisted on turning her, I had no idea. Already as a human it was obvious she would be nothing but a burden to us. Which was why we now had to lock her up within the mansion to keep her away from the humans. Always overpowered by her lust for blood, she was nothing but an animal. A cowardly _pet_, I though with disgust.

I would have to deal with her later. _But not now!_ Right at that moment I could do nothing other than stare at the human girl before me. She had gotten up from the floor, and she now stood, sobbing while staring at her own reflexion.

I frowned as I took her in. This girl would be nothing like Marissa when she was turned. Even though her now falling tears spoke of weakness, I knew the truth. I had seen it in her eyes as she tried to fight me off back in Washington. She had done everything in her power to get herself and the other humans away from me. That she hadn't succeeded meant nothing. Her inner fire was like nothing I had seen before, and at first I had found it rather amusing to see her in action. She was strong for a human. I had even tried to manipulate her into following me, but I hadn't succeeded.

I pulled myself back to the present, and took a step towards her. I would have to lead her back to her room, and then go find Aro. He was after all the only one who really knew what was going on.

I let my fingers brush lightly against her elbow trying not to startle her with my presence. My eyes found hers in the mirror, and I was just about to pull her towards the open door, when she hit me.

She hit me. Right in the face. I was so shocked I just stared at her for a moment, and the expression in her eyes made me take a step backwards.

"WHY?!" she screamed, new tears trailing down her cheeks. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" She started hitting me again, this time with more force even though it had no impact on my stone body.

The loud sound of one of her bones cracking pulled me out of my daze and I pushed her away from me without effort. I had no death wish and Aro had already warned me about my punishment because of the injuries she gained in Washington. _He will surely kill me for this_, I thought absentmindedly as I pushed her, an arms length away from me.

She fought my grip, but soon realized it was of no use. The moment she stopped fighting against my grip I released her. She tumbled backwards and ended up against one of the mirrors. A sob sounded from her throat.

"Why?" she whispered. Her eyes meet mine, and I couldn't look away. The emotions which showed in her eyes took me off guard. The sorrow was evident, as was the loss, but it was the _hate_ which made me back away from her.

She hated me. I didn't know why, but the thought of that made my breath accelerate. _Of course she hates you; _I thought to myself, _how can that surprise you?_ You stole her away from everything she held dear, on the night which should have been the happiest of her life. You brought her here, against her will. You threw that woman, whom she obviously cared for, through a gigantic window. _So how can that surprise you?_

I didn't know why, but it did. I slowly reached my hand towards her, but let it fall to my side.

"I …" What could I say? What was wrong with me? It was so not like me to act like this. I was always cool and in control. What did I care if a mere human hated me? It sure as hell wouldn't be the first time. I shrugged off my uneasiness and turned my back on her.

"Have it your way, then", I hissed as I walked towards the entrance. I didn't care, I decided. This human could rot in hell for all I cared. So what if she hated me? I hated her too.

At least that's what I tried to convince myself, but as I reached the door I couldn't help but take another look at her. She had let herself slide down the mirror and she sat with her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook.

I looked away quickly and left the room. I would find Aro, and then he would decide what to do.

She was _his_, and I didn't care.

But the unpleasant feeling from earlier was back, and just as back then I couldn't shake it off.

One thing was different from earlier though. This time I recognized the feeling. It was a feeling I hadn't felt in almost a century. A feeling that had been lost to me since my days as a human.

_Shame._

_Bella__POV_

I didn't look up as he left the room. I didn't want him anywhere near me. He … He had ruined everything. He had … I couldn't even think it. I didn't want to think it, much less say it out loud. It would make the whole thing far too real and that was something I didn't want.

_It can't be real_, I thought to myself. But it was. I knew it was, and denying it wouldn't help anything.

_Renée_. The mere mention of her name sent a throb of pain through my chest. My mother. My caring, erratic mother was… was…

A heartbreaking sob sounded from my throat, as I thought of her, my beloved mother, who was… gone. _Gone because of me_!

It was my fault. It was _all_ my fault. If I hadn't pulled her inside the house. No… If I hadn't invited her, this would never have happened. Why would I invite her? Why would I put her in such a danger? Put her through such a risk?

I, of course, knew the answer to that question. I had wanted to say my goodbyes, before it was too late. I had wanted to tell my mother that I loved her. That no matter what happened she was the best mother anyone could ever wish for. She had been my life for so many years, and parting from her hurt. It hurt much more than I thought it would, given the amount of time I had spent with her the last couple of years. I had wanted to say goodbye. And I didn't say it.

I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.

And now it was too late.

_She was gone_.

I felt my body shake as realization hit me. She was gone. I would never get to see her again. My always loving, irresponsible, unpredictable mother was gone. I would never hear her laugh again. That beautiful laugh of hers, which always lured me into laughing along with her.

Gone forever.

And it was all my fault.

I had been the one to interact with vampires. I had chosen to live in a world of supernatural creatures. I had been the one to make the choice, yet she had paid for it. That was why it was my fault, and I would now have to live with it. Live with the fact that _I_ had killed my mother.

_However long that might be_, I bitterly thought, as I abruptly leaned my head back against the cold mirror behind me. A hoarse, rattling laugh left my lips. My body froze at the sound, but it didn't stop. I couldn't make it stop. It just kept on floating through my lips, making a hollow echo sound through the room.

It wasn't a happy laugh, not even close. It was a maniacal, hysterical laughter, which only made me feel even worse, if that was even possible. It made my stomach turn, and I wondered for a moment if I would be able to keep the content of my stomach inside.

I tried to get up off the floor, one hand on my stomach another on the mirror. I pulled myself upright, with what seemed to be the last strength I had. Finally standing, I once again looked at myself in the mirror.

My dress was beautiful. Just like I remembered it. It was a dream of old vintage laces and ribbons, looking like something right out of an _Anne of Green gables _novel_._ My shoes were gone, where to I had no idea. So was my veil, and … and the beautiful silver hair combs which had belonged to my Grandmother.

I reached for my hair, which hang loosely around my shoulders, hoping they might, by some miracle, still be attached to my hair. They weren't, and that just made me cry even harder. Renée had given me those combs, Renée and Charlie both.

I fought to steady my breathing as I thought of my father. I hoped he was okay. I hoped, for all it was worth, that he had gotten out of there. That he had somehow managed to live. I couldn't bare the thought of losing one of my parents, not at all both of them.

I had to believe he was alive. That my vampire family had somehow managed to save him and the other humans at the wedding. I didn't think I could handle more deaths.

By the mention of my vampire family, the one most important person in my life entered the centre of my thoughts.

_Edward_.

I had to believe he was okay as well. That he was as indestructible as he claimed to be. He was my life and without him, I saw no reason to keep on living. Because a world without Edward was no world at all.

_He is fine_, I decided, trying to convince myself. He and the rest of the Cullens were fine. They had been far too many in numbers to be overcome by four vampires. Edward was strong and faster than any other vampire I had ever known. He could take care of himself, I was sure. Not that he had to. When the Cullens stood together they were strong.

Emmett's strength was not something to joke about. That man was strength incarnated. And Jasper…. Jasper was a soldier. A war hero. He had been off to war even before I was born, and his abilities on the battlefield had already been proven during the newborn-attacks months ago. Carlisle wouldn't like the idea of killing his own kind, but he would do what was necessary to protect his family. To protect Esme.

My chest tightened at the thought of Esme, but I shook it off. Esme was a vampire too. She was caring and loving in a motherly kind of way, but a vampire none the less. She would be fine. As would Alice, who despite her size, was not to be underestimated. With her visions and Jasper to protect her, she was most likely the safest of them all. And Rosalie … pfff… I wouldn't try anything with her if I were those intruders. While her husband was strength incarnated, she was his evil counterpart. She would rip those vampires to pieces and feel nothing but joy while doing so.

I smiled to myself, as I thought of the blond vampire. Rosalie's love for her family would save them all. I was sure of it. And even if that shouldn't be enough the Denalis were there, and Seth. Seth would call for the pack if they were in trouble.

All the Cullens were fine!

But as I said this to myself I realized it wasn't completely true. One Cullen was sure as hell not okay.

I attempted to steady my breathing and wiped away the traces of tears on my face with the back of my hand. This wasn't the time to cry. What I really needed right now was to get the hell out of here.

"Wherever 'here' might be", I muttered to myself as I started towards the now closed door.

…

Before I turned the handle I put my ear against the door, listening for footsteps outside the door. I did this even though I knew the walk of a vampire was elegant and not heavy enough to leave a sound. It just seemed like the right thing to do, and since I didn't hear anything suspicious, I took my chances and sneaked a peek out the door.

No one.

I hurriedly walked out the door and closed it behind me. So far so good.

I looked around, indecisive for a moment, before I just started walking. I didn't know which way the exit was, but standing around waiting would only get me caught. Besides, who was I supposed to wait for? I was on my own now. I had to rely on my own strength to get home. Home to Edward.

I went right, hurrying down the hallway knowing fully well that hiding was no option. Vampires' senses were so much stronger than humans' such as my own and they would be able to detect my sent even if I managed to hide my body. My only option was to hurry out of here, while they were occupied elsewhere.

Slightly out of breath, I reached the end of the hallway, only to find a staircase leading down towards the floors below. I hesitated, but then started my way down the stairs. It was rather dark, so I felt a false security knowing I was hidden in the shadows, but then suddenly the darkness stopped, and I reached a lit-up room.

I shielded my eyes with my hands, for that short instant it took them to readjust to the new lightening. Then I looked around, and realized I had been here before. It was a huge chamber, a hall actually, decorated with marble in different shades and nuances. I felt the difference in temperature on my skin, the marble much colder than the rooms I had just left behind. I remembered the room from what seemed to be ages ago, when Edward and Alice had tried to get me out of the Volturi Castle as fast as possible. Without being able to stop myself I saw the scene before my eyes:

_**(Flashback - Stephenie Meyer owns everything – New Moon, page 482)**_

"_Not fast enough" Alice muttered._

_I stared up at her, frightened but she only seemed chagrined. It was then that I heard the first babble of voices- loud, rough voices- coming from the antechamber. _

"_Well, this is unusual" a man's coarse voice boomed. _

"_So medieval" an unpleasantly shrill, female voice gushed back._

_A large crowd was coming through the little door (…). Demetri motioned for us to make room. We pressed back against the cold wall to make them pass._

_The first couple, Americans from the sound of them, glanced around themselves with appraising eyes. _

"_Welcome, guests! Welcome to Volterra" I could hear Aro sing from the big turret room. _

_**(Flashback – the end)**_

I shuddered involuntarily, and left the past behind. I needed to focus on the present, and get myself out of here.

The staircase ended right behind three enormous thrones, and I tried to tiptoe around them, knowing fully well that if I made it to the other end of the hall, I wound find the door to the reception. I remembered the reception, and that human girl who sat behind the desk. Brianna? Was that her name? She could become a problem, if she denied me my exit, but I would worry about that when I got there. First I had to get past those thrones…

I crept around the throne at my right, fighting to keep my breathing even. I stood right beside the thrones, facing the door which led to my exit, when my heart rate accelerated for no obvious reason. I came to a halt. I suddenly felt like I was being watched, and the real possibility of that fact made my heartbeat accelerate even more.

I saw a dark shadow out of the corner of my eye, and I felt my spine stiffen. A thousand voices in my head started screaming for me to "run", but I stood frozen none the less, and I felt my face move in the direction of the shadow without my consent.

I was met by a pair of beautiful, yet very bored ruby eyes. I felt my eyes widen as I took in the sight before me, and I unconsciously took a step away from the thrones. On the throne, farthest from me, sat a very tall and majestic vampire. His beautiful ruby eyes, which had a milky touch to them, followed my every move, yet it was like he didn't see me. He looked right through me, looking so bored I was surprised he wasn't sleeping.

I opened my mouth, but I had nothing to say, so I closed it again. He looked unimpressed, as I took another step backwards still facing him, so I took another one. He didn't react, didn't move at all, actually. I kept this up until I was almost at the door, my eyes never leaving his sulky, unimpressed ones. The room was in total silence, and I'm sure my eyes were wide as mill wheels as I tried to reach my exit. I felt more than saw that I reached the door, and I was just about to reach for the handle behind my back, when a heavy hand fell on my shoulder.

"AAAAHHHHHHH" a bloodcurdling scream left my lips, and I turned to face my sudden attacker with a speed that made my vision blur. I was met with a pair of startled ruby eyes, belonging to a tall, blond vampire. I looked at him in horror, weirdly enough remembering his name in the middle of my panic.

Demetri.

We stood still, facing each other for what seemed to be forever, but what probably only was a tenth of a second, silence echoing between us… that is, until his lips started to twitch and a low snicker started to form in the back of his throat. He pressed his lips tightly together, as if trying to keep the laughter inside, and I was so surprised by his reaction I could do nothing but just stare.

A booming laughter started from behind me, and this seemed to be too much for Demetri to handle, because he threw his head back and laughed so loudly the sound echoed between the walls of the huge hall.

I cringed from the sudden sound in the room, and I felt my breath hitch when a pair of stone-cold hands grabbed me from behind and twirled me around. A huge vampire suddenly stood towering above me, making me feel very small. He also looked at me with those ruby eyes, but when he flashed me a huge grin, an almost inaudible sound left my lips. This only made them laugh even more.

"BWAHAHA, what was that? That sound… did you just chirp?" I felt my cheeks burn from embarrassment, not at all sure what to do about my self. I took a quick look at the door, only an arms length away and I knew I wouldn't be able to make it. It could have been miles away for all it mattered… With three vampires in the room, my chances at getting out of here equalled zero. I couldn't resist the urge to reach for the handle anyway, but my fingers were instantly covered in an iron grip.

"No, no, no… You stay right here, princess. Can't let you outta here!" I strained my neck to look up at the enormous vampire who held my hand, and I saw him shrug as he met my gaze: "Master Aro's orders", he said as if that explained everything.

I looked down at my hand, so tiny in his huge one and suddenly it was like all my energy left me. I suddenly felt so very tired, and I felt my legs give way from under me.

"Hey there, you 'key?" I heard the words, and I felt his paw like hands hold me by my shoulders, but I didn't answer. Of course I wasn't okay. I wanted to go home. Why did they do this? What had I done to deserve this?

Once again I met his gaze, and I don't know what he saw in my face, but whatever it was made his eyebrows draw together.

"I want to go home", I whispered in a hushed tone I didn't recognize. I looked at him with pleading eyes as I grabbed the front of his shirt, begging him with all my might to let me go. I knew it was useless but I tried none the less, and for one small second I thought I saw something in his eyes… a flicker of something I couldn't quite describe, but then it was gone and his face got a determined expression:

"You _are_ home", he said as he led me back to the thrones.

* * *

**A/N: Okay… so what did you think? We met some new vampires this chap… Demetri, and…. And? Who do you think we met? Okay, I know it's not that hard to guess, but hey… I'd like some dialog here ;D**** The interior of the Volturi castle may differ a bit from the book, but hey… it's called artistic freedom, right? ;D **

**Thanks so much for reading :D Please review :)**


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